Device for releasing projectiles on aircraft



July 10, 19 28,

Filed May 6, 1926 V lnvenfanr:

Patented July 10, 1928.

UNITED ST oFFac.

DEVICE FOR BELEASING PROJECTILES ON AIRCRAFT.

Application filed. May 6, 1926,.Seria1 No. 107,199, and in France May 12, 1925.

the seat of the passenger entrusted with thismanoeuver.

The device presents the following char- 1 acteristic features 1. The engaging of the projectiles is automatic and carried out by bringing'the suspension rings into the position.

2. After the engaging of the projectiles the mechanism is brought into a safety position in which all the releasers are positively locked. In this safety position all the projectiles are correctly suspended or engaged and any accidental disengaging or releasing or an acceleration of the releasing is absolutely avoided. After the liberation of each single projectile in this mechanism is at once automatically relocked in this safety position.

3. The controlling of the liberating ordisengaging mechanism from a distance is effected through the intermediary of a mechanical transmission carrying out a considerabledisplacement for the liberating of each group of projectiles so that any play or deformations of any of the mechanical elements or of their supports remains without effect upon the mechanism.

The device according to the invention is spective view. I

Referring to the drawings, 1,1",-1 are projectiles arranged in groups and suspended each by means of a ring 2 on a hook 3,--3,3, Each of these hooks is movable in its plane around an axle 4 and its free end bears upon the nose 5 of the corresponding releasing-lever 5.

The force acting upon the hook 3 owing to the Weight of the projectile is divided into two composing forces; the one much more important being neutralized by the resistancy of the axle and the other composing force, the degree of greatness of which is practically 6 to 10 times feebler than the shown, by way of example, in the only fig; ure of the accompanying drawing in a per-.

' releasing levers. The cams 9 are dlsplaced weight of the projectile, bein intercepted by the nose 5*? of the releasing Tever 5. This releasing lever, movable around an axle 6, carries at its ends two noses 7 and 8, which bears against two cams 9 and 10.

The cam 9 is the individual releasing cam and adapted to initiate an oscillation of the releasing lever which liberates the book 3 and consequently causes the dropping of the projectile. The cam 10 is a safety or lock ing cam. In the position shown in the drawing this cam maintains in a positive manner the releaser in the locked position as the nose 8 of the releasing lever 5 is in engagement with the boss of said cam 10. The releasing by cam 7 is therefore possible only after cam 10 has been'rotatedof a certain angle so that one of its concave portions comes in contact with the nose 8. The movement of the cams 9 and 10 is simultaneously controlled by means of two axles 11 and 12 operated by a Maltese cross mechanism 13, 14.

If the axle 12 is rotated at a uniform movement the axle 11 is intermittently rotated by the pin 15 en aging periodically with the slots in the altese cross 13. It is evident that the elements 13 and 14 may be keyed on their corresponding axle in such a manner that the successive passing of the bosses of the cams 9 over the noses 7 of the releasing levers takes place at the same time at which the cams 10 adopt their 0- sition of unlockin and that axle 12 belng in the locking posltion, none of the cams 9 are in engagement with the noses 7 of the the one with regard to the other upon the axle 11 in such a manner that they act successively upon the levers 5.

If this mechanism is regulated according to this principle, there will be, at each rotation, one position of the axle 13 in which all the releasing-levers are locked in the safety position. This position is defined great tolerance as it corresponds tothe length of the sector for which the pin 15 is not in engagement with the Maltese crossand at which the circular profile 16 of the catching element 14 acts as locking means in the Maltese cross. This device is controlled from a distance by means of a transmission shaft 17, and driving gears 18 19, 20 and 21 the reducing relations of wiich are for instance equal to 1, and by means of a crank handle 22. This crank handle forms the driving station and is preferably arranged in close proximity to the seat of the passenger who has to execute the releasing of the projectiles. This driving crank handle comprises a pin 23 adapted to engage with a notch 25 of a crown 24, the position of which co responds to the safety osition in which t e ntire mechanism is 100 ed. A second notch 26 corresponds to the char ing position of the device in which the oscillations of the releasing levers, under the action of the nose of the hooks, are possible without any of the cams 9 being in engagement with said noses 7.

A dial 27, .thenumerals on which are adapted to appear behind a window not shown, completes the control station. The dial is rotated through the intermediary of a 'Maltese cross gear 28, 29 by which the axle of said dial is rotated in the same direction as axle 11. The regulating of the driving station can be realized in such a manner that the numeral on the dial apearing in the window indicates the roectile which has just been released. he dial will rotate of the distance -'between two numerals at the moment when the corresponding cam 9 releases a projectile, and all the elements will be locked again if the crank handle of the station is broughtinto the safety position by means of notch 25.

It is evident that the Maltese cross mechanism, shown on the drawing, is given by way of example only as. any other mechanism may be substituted for the same, which realizes the same function, e. g. transformation of a uniform rotating movement of a first axle into an intermittent rotating movement of a second axle, the first axle being utilized for realizing the periodical locking of the releasing levers and the second axle being utilized for realizing the individual successive disengagings.

The hooks 3, 3 3, 3 are symmetrically arranged at either side of the axles 11 and 12 and co-o 'erate with the corresponding levers 5 so t at each cam 9 and each cam 10 control two levers 5 which are pushed against the cam 10 by the action of a spring 31. The spring 31 does-not act by traction but exerts upon the levers 5 a spreading effect which, owing to this effect, have the tendency to remain in engagement, by their nose 5, with the long arm of the hook Which holds the projectile and this .in whichever position the cam 10 may be.

We claim 1. A device for suspending and releasing -'.projectiles on air craft comprising incombination with releasin elements with positive locking and witi automatic engagement, two driving systems the one efi'ecting at regularintervals the locking and unlocking of all releasing elements and the other, the movement of which depends on the first one, ensuring during the unlocking periods the successive releasings, and means.

hoo a nose at the lower end of t e inner edge and ano'se at the upper end of the inner edge, an axle on which all said supporting releasing levers are mounted, a. spring between every two opposite supporting releasing levers, a lower axle, releasing cams on said lower axle one for each pair .of supporting releasing levers, an upper axle, locking cams on said u per axle one for each pair of supporting re easing levers,

means for rotating said upper axle at uni-.

form movement, a transmission gear between said upper and said lower axle for intermittently rotating said lower axle from said upper axle, a control station at a dis tance rom said device comprising a shaft, a crank handle for rotating said shaft and a transmission gear for rotating said upper axle at uniform speed, a dial near said driving shaft, and-a Maltese cross gear for rotating said dial to indicate the number of the projectile to be released.

3. A device for sus ending and releasing projectiles on air cra comprising in comsaid elements consisting for each projectile of a. hook, of a locking lever havin at one end to hold the projectile an a nose on the other, upper end, an axle extending along all the hooks, supporting and releasing levers one for each hook and having each on the outer edge a nose designed to riding support the upper nose of the corre hook, a nose at the lower end of t e. inner edge and a nose at the up e'r end of the inner edge, an axle on whic all said supporting releasing levers are mounted, a

.spring between every two opposite supporting releasing levers, a lower axle, releasing cams on said lower axle one for each pa1r of supporting releasing levers, an upsupport the upper nose of the corres onding ination releasing elements with positive locking and with automatic engagement a nose I per axle, locking cams on said upper aIxle one for each pair of supporting releasing levers, said releasing cams and said locking cams being keyed on their corresponding 5 axles so that between every two successive releasings of suspension hooks all the releasing levers are locked whilst if said locking cams are brought into the unlocking position another suspension hook may be released. 10

In testimony whereof we ailix our signatures.

ROBERT ALKAN. GEORGES LESOURD. 

